I'm interested in how this is going to work once its open Arfa.
What's it's USP?
How is it going to compete with the marketing muscle of McDonalds & Burger King? Evem Wimpey?
Sounds like its on a retail park or industrial estate, not a high street?
Will it open late? Deliver?
JOOI.
"10% Discount for orders placed via the uk.d-i-y newsgroup"?
I know a number of large industrial estates where there is a food outlet on or very near the estate that does very nicely from the lunch and break time trade for people working on the estate. Some offer a lunch delivery service around the estate as well.
Colin Bignell
The only one that workers on the estate can walk to without overstaying their lunch break? Phone your order in, then pick it up a few minutes later. Some of the butty vans round here do that now.
Or even *Wimpy* :o)
There are a lot of low-budget fast food chains, many of them with "chicken" somewhere in the name (and I don't mean KFC) that manage without marketing.
Also, why the assumption that it's a race to the bottom?
It's possible to carve out a niche as a quality provider.
A new strip of units was built on the local industrial estate. Tenants include Screwfix and Greggs.
Owain
They may 'manage' with less marketing.
Possible - but very difficult.
OK. Lots of comments there. The USP is that it is based on the American model of such establishments, in that it provides a quality take out meal, using only quality ingredients such as CAB burgers. These are cooked on a proper chargrill, which produces a flavour very similar to that of a charcoal barbecue. There is no need to compete with the likes of Micky D's or BK. They provide a perfectly acceptable but bottom end takeaway experience. Our enterprise will provide a high quality meal at a price comparable with your high street Indian or Chinese takeaway.
For the last seven years, we have owned and operated two cafes. These similarly used only top quality ingredients, and never compromised on this. We were not as cheap as a roadside greasy spoon, but we did not cater to the same market as they do. We packed both of them on a daily basis, and no one ever mentioned the prices. Recession or not, there are still plenty of people out there prepared to pay a bit extra to get a quality product and eating experience.
Tonight, we went out to eat at a local TGIs. They too use CAB burgers, and chargrill them. They are on the same complex as a Micky D's, a KFC and a BK, but they do not have any problem selling their burgers. The place was packed, and almost everyone was eating burgers, so we are confident that there is a demand for our product. Also, we have stayed in touch with many of our previous regular customers, and they all cannot wait for us to open.
As well as this, there is a similar establishment in a town 15 miles away, which recently celebrated 30 years, and we have been going there all that time. It has been owned by the same guy from day one, and he has done very well from it, and continues to do so. He too uses only quality ingredients to produce a superior product. He is on a main road that is wall to wall takeaways and pubs for about 2 miles, and he has never had any problem competing.
For sure, for our model to work, location is key. The place that we finally found, is located on a retail park, and the key features for us were the presence of a chip shop and a Chinese, and a Co-op store that heaves non stop until it closes at 11pm. Across the road is a large pub, and the road that goes right past the complex, leads to a large industrial estate. On top of this, the park is surrounded on three sides by huge housing estates.
As much consideration as possible has gone into the business model and projections, and we are confident, given the fact that we have had successful family run food businesses for many years, that we can make this work. Of course, we don't have a crystal ball, and it could all go pear shaped. In a few weeks when get the place open, we'll see, I guess. I'll let you all know how it's going .... ! :-)
Arfa
Yes, please keep us informed. The quality would be of interest, as I like burgers but am wary of the crapp in McDeadThings etc. If the new place isn't too far I'll have a ride and call in (I'm S. Northants - are you around Earls Barton way?
Whats a CAB burger? Google only comes up with references to the Bobs Burgers TV show.
What are you going to call it BTW?
We have well ard burgers down here - built by a construction company :-)
Cheese and bacon?
Certified Angus Beef I think. Burger King do one now - it's a lot better than McDs but still crap.
I love a decent burger, but it's rare to find one :-( I'd certainly be interested in a decent quality burger outlet - Proper cherry coke as well please (coke with proper cherry syrup) :-)
Darren
Barf.
I'm not alone, then.
Seem not - there are two of you who are wrong :-)
Darren
Someone opened a similar establishment near me.. it lasted about six months.
They claimed it was good quality stuff, I don't eat burgers and stuff so I never ate there.
They were really silly IMO. They were competing with an all you can eat Chinese restaurant in the evening and did sell not anything cheap enough for the kids to buy at lunch times even though they were 100 m from a secondary school.
Its now a more generic fast food place competing with McDs a mile down the A41.
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